Cord leader Raila Odinga has said planned parallel Madaraka Day celebrations at Uhuru Park will go on as scheduled Wednesday June 1.
This is despite that the venue has already been booked for prayers by a church.
Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday during Governor's Award Program hosted by county boss Hassan Joho, Raila said they will not be intimidated by police.
“We will go to Uhuru Park whether they like it or not,” Raila said.
The police, in a letter signed by Joseph Nasio on behalf of county commander Japheth Koome, declined Kanu's request to use the venue on grounds that it had been booked for three days including June 1.
Kanu and Cord have been coalescing lately pointing to a likelihood that they will hold joint meetings at the grounds.
Raila on Saturday said the Jubilee government cannot lead the country with brutal force and likened them to warthogs in one of his famous parables.
“A warthog forgets every time. They have forgotten that the Nyayo regime tried this and failed. Jubilee will also fail,” the ODM party leader said.
He was referring to the use of force by police to silence Cord supporters.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, speaking at the same function held at the Mombasa ASK Showground, said prayers are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays for Christians.
“Which church conducts prayers on Wednesdays?” Junet asked.
While in Mombasa, Raila continued his crusade against the IEBC saying the commissioners must go.
He said Kenyans have the will, reason and ability to send the IEBC commissioners and the Jubilee government home.
“Peaceful demonstrations are a constitutional right of every Kenyans,” he said.
For his part, Joho said Jubilee authorities must not think they will be in power forever.
He said it is wrong to use live bullets to disperse peaceful demonstrators.
“There will be a time when you will have to remove that uniform. So respect the citizens,” he told the police and Jubilee officials.
Speaker after speaker vowed to ensure the IEBC is disbanded and a new one formed to conduct the 2017 general elections.
Even so, Prayers Beyond Boundaries founder Lucy Ngunjiri has said she is ready to share some of days she has booked the grounds with the opposition.
Ngunjiri said she was a peace loving Kenyan and would love to see Kenyans united.
However, she warned that prayers come first and she can negotiate with cord on other days apart from the June 1 when the two groups want to use the grounds for their meetings.